


Taking it Slow

by EmeraldRaptor



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Canon Divergence, F/M, Modern AU, Peggy Carter Lives, Tags will be updated along the fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-05 08:33:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14040306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRaptor/pseuds/EmeraldRaptor
Summary: Steve Rogers, otherwise known as Captain America, has a quiet life when he's not the Captain.Agent Carter is one of his few friends, and is quite fond of Rogers, but worries he is stuck at life.After a night of drinking, they both have things shaken up for them.AU: Peggy Carter is a modern SHIELD deputy director, Steve Rogers became Captain America in World War II.Post-Avengers, before Winter Soldier.





	Taking it Slow

The three of them sat smiling, amongst the noise around them.

"Another!" Natasha bellowed, as she raised her pint. Steve and Peggy chuckled as Nat chuckled at her own outburst. "Ok, that was loud." "It certainly was." Steve said, drinking from his beer. The waiter came over, and refreshed Natasha's drink. "Thank you so much." She said, as she took the glass to her lips.

"Maybe it would last longer if you didn't down it before the glass can condense." Peggy said, sipping from her whiskey. Natasha shot her a glare, and both smiled. The bar's music just audible above all the other patron's voices. Agent Romanoff had just returned from a mission, and took some of her friends out for drinks. Sadly, Maria had left already, which made her want to drink all the more. 

"This is a really cool place, Nat." Steve said. "Good pick." Another sip. Not rushed or slow, just calm. 

"Thank you. I usually come here to unwind after a mission." She replied. "Hence we got a good table." It overlooked a bright street, with plenty other bars, and restaurants, and a park. The night echoed with the sounds of the city, and of the people finding their way under the lights. Steve gazed out the window. He didn't notice Peggy looking at him attentively.

"Be back in a sec, guys." Natasha said, and stood up, taking her phone out of her pocket. 

The table was quiet without her. Steve smiled in Peggy's direction.

Peggy addressed him in a calm voice. "What about you? Do you know any other good bars, Steve?".

"No. I can't say I do. There's a quiet little dive bar near my apartment, but I rarely go there." 

"Not much of a drinker?" She asked.

"You could say that." He shrugged and took another drink of his beer. 

"Well, either way I hope you're enjoying yourself." And reassured him with a warm smile. 

"I am. And you?" 

"Yeah. It's pleasant."

They sat silent for a moment. 

"So uh..." Steve started a question he wasn't sure how to finish. "I didn't know you and Natasha knew each other."

"Oh yeah. Well, kind of. She usually works along Hill, but we've crossed paths a couple times. She's nice."

"Nice" wasn't the first word Steve would use to describe Natasha. Sure they were friends, but he knew she was a force to be reckoned with. He had never seen her take any shit, and he respected that about her. 

"Yeah. She is."

Peggy leaned in closer. "I mean. Nice for someone who'd toss you out the window if you were rude to her." They had a small laugh. 

"Stole the words out of my mouth." Steve replied. "She's great though, don't get me wrong."

"Oh, I know. You two seem close." Peggy replied. 

"Yeah. I suppose we got to be." Steve thought about that. Natasha was constantly checking on him, and had invited him to hang out sometimes. But he wasn't sure if they were close. Or if she was one of the only people who he actually got along with.

"What about you? Do you go out often?"

"Not really. I'm busy as it is and some nights I just like to take the day for myself."

"That sounds nice."

"It is. Do you have any hobbies?" She inquired. 

Again. Another perfectly common question that he didn't know how to answer. "Not... not really. I like music though. And drawing. But I don't think I consider either my hobbies. They just sort of happen." He said, easing into his answers. Sometimes he had to go over what he would say in a situation. Here, it seemed to just come to him, for the most part. 

She smiled, differently than she did before. Steve was nervous. Had he sounded more nervous now? Part of him wanted to apologize. And part of him wanted to sit there and say nothing. 

He was saved when Natasha returned. "What did I miss?"

"We were just talking." Peggy answered. 

"Anything fun?"

"What do we do when not at work." Just what we do when not at work.

"You have hobbies besides hitting the gym? Because I was about to ask how many sandbags had you destroyed this month." 

That actually made him laugh. He knew Natasha was poking him a little, but she had a way to make him laugh when she did it. 

"I do. And... I think 4. Might be 4 and a half."

They laughed, and Peggy looked at him. 

Natasha finished her drink. "Anyways. I should go." 

"You ok?" Peggy asked. 

"Yeah. Just... uh... yeah." 

"Do you want me to walk you?" Steve asked. Natasha turned to him. "Nah. I'll be ok."

"Alright. Just give me a heads up when you get to your place."

"Sure sure." She turned to Peggy. "Will you be ok?"

"Yeah. Of course. Let me know when you reach your apartment." She also said.

"Guys, I can beat down a 300 pound soldier. I did so last week and he had a gun. I think I'll be fine."

"Just take care, Nat." Steve said, as she aloofly took her wallet and left way more money than was needed. 

"See you later." She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, and whispered in his ear. "Be a gentleman with her, now." 

Steve looked at her curiously, and smiled. "Bye Nat."

Promptly putting on her jacket, Natasha walked away. 

Peggy turned at him. "She'll be ok, don't worry Steve." 

"Oh yeah. I know." He said, acknowledging Peggy did not see the man leaving along her. 

"It was sweet of you to offer though."

"Heh." He chuckled and sipped. "Thanks. Guess it's an instinct."

"It's a good thing. Don't worry."

He smiled. "Thank you." 

There was another awkward silence between them. Natasha leaving so suddenly was a surprise, and Steve already felt weird. Was Natasha his best friend? Was it so apparent he was not the type of guy to go out much? He worried Peggy was uncomfortable. Yet at the same time he was uncomfortable himself. 

"Steve?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Umm. Yeah. It's just... drink getting to me." He lied. 

"Alright." She said, but she sounded concerned. 

"Sorry. I just... don't do this often."

"Going out for drinks?"

"Yeah. But I meant talking. Well, trying to talk to someone."

"That's ok. I mean. It sucks, but don't feel pressured. You're doing quite alright, Rogers." 

Steve felt better now. Not completely at ease, but Peggy's words reassured him.

* * *

"So you went to art school?" She asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yeah. Before everything else happened."

She pressed her lips. 

"Oh don't worry. I didn't mean it like a sob story."

Peggy gave him a comforting smile.

"Yeah, uh, I went to art school for a while. I liked it well enough. Not quite sure I was that talented but it was nice."

"Oh, I bet you are." 

"I'd like to think so."

"Well I'd love to see your drawings sometime soon."

"Sometime soon." Steve went over those two words for the rest of the night. "Sometime soon." as in "I actually mean to see you again."?

"Yeah... uh-" He tried not to stumble with his words. "I'd like to show you." And he smiled. 

She finished her drink, and for a moment it seemed she looked at his eyes as she finished the last of her liquor. He looked back, and then away after a moment. 

"I think it's time I went home." She signaled the waiter for the check.

"I liked this. We should do this sometime else." Steve said.

She returned his smile, and replied politely. "We ought to. Let me give you my number."

Peggy grabbed a pen from her purse, and scribbled her number on a napkin, gently handing it to Steve. 

"Thank you, Carter."

"Peggy. Come on, we just shared drinks, you can relax." She smiled warmly.

"Peggy. Alright."

"Steve." She replied politely. 

They stayed more or less in silence waiting for the check. Steve offered to pay, but at the end they split it.

Steve asked if Peggy lived nearby, and if she'd like to be accompanied home.

"Classified." She joked. "I live a bit far, so I'll be taking a cab."

"Alright then. Just be safe."

"I'll text Natasha, don't worry."

They walked together to the entrance, and Steve hailed a cab for Peggy. He opened the door for her.

"Natasha did mention you were a bit old fashioned." She noticed Steve's confused face. "In the good way!" She corrected herself. "Thank you, Steve."

"Thank you, Peggy."

"See you at the office." She said, and closed the door. Steve looked at the cab as it became smaller in the distance, getting lost among the remaining lights of the city, and finally, the darkness. 

He smiled to himself, and walked to his apartment, making sure the napkin was still in his shirt's pocket during most of the trip. He smiled a little every time he felt it was there.

"Thank you for tonight." He texted to Natasha. 

As he arrived to the apartment, the phone dinged. "You're welcome big guy. Peggy says she had fun too. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. Sleep well, Nat." He replied. 

"I'll do my best." She replied some minutes after. 

He chuckled, and soon enough was lying in bed. 

It was a good night.  


End file.
